Apparatus for dispensing materials from collapsible tubes



April 21, 1959 F. w. NICHOLS, JR 2,883,087

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING MATERIALS FROM COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed May 15, 1956 INVENTOR FEEDER/CK W NICHOLS, JR.

BY M 077% ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING MATERIALS FROM COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Frederick W. Nichols, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah Application May 15, 1956, Serial No. 585,084

3 Claims. (Cl. 222100) mouth is located, with the result that it becomes difficult to eject all of the material from the tube.

Various devices have been proposed heretofore for mechanically collapsing such tubes so that all of the material will be ejected therefrom. However, such devices have not met with wide favor because of various deficiencies in their structures. It is a general object of this invention, therefore, to provide durable apparatus of this type which can be manufactured economically and which will be easy to use under a wide variety of conditions.

One of the difiiculties which has arisen in the use of certain prior art devices is that the structures limit the field of use to the ejection of material from a tube of a certain size. Purchasers of the equipment then must limit their purchases of tooth paste, for example, to particular tube sizes. The objections -to this limitation will be obvious.

Another disadvantage of some of the prior art dispensers of this type is that the collapsing of the tube depends upon a spring action. Such structures lack durability in that they are effective only so long as the metal retains its resiliency.

These disadvantages are overcome, according to the present invention, by the utilization of a rigid bracket having a slot therethrough and having unobstructed faces. The body of the collapsible tube may be drawn through the slot to eject the material contained in the tube by Winding the end of the tube opposite the mouth upon a core member disposed on the opposite side of the rigid bracket. This structure is extremely simple and it is very efficient.

A better understanding of this invention and its objects and advantages will be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the apparatus operates to eject paste from a tube;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the two principal parts of the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 has been applied to an angle bracket adapted to be attached to a wall 4 or other surface. The angle bracket 2 includes two platelike members 6 and 8 disposed at an angle to each other, and it is made of some material which will not be affected materially by water, for example, of aluminum or plastic.

The plate-like member 6 has a plurality of openings 10 therethrough for the reception of screws 12 or other suitable fastening means. As shown, the openings 10 have enlarged portions 14 and narrow portions 16. The head 12 of the screw should be of such a size that it may pass through the enlarged portions 14, but not through the; narrow portions 16. With this type of connection between the wall 4 and the plate-like member 6, it is pos,--

sible to remove the angle bracket 2 when desired. The member 6 also may be secured to the wall 4 by means of a suitable mastic, if desired.

The plate-like member 8 has a narrow slot 18 extending inwardly from one of its side short of the opposite side edge.

22 having a slot 24 through its wall. A knob'26 ,is fixed by any suitable means to one end of the core member 22..

This knob preferably has a knurled outer surface't'o facilitate the grasping of the knob ber 8 during rotation.

The operation of the apparatus now will be described.

After the angle bracket 2 has been fixed to the wall 4, a collapsible tube, such as the tube 28 shown in Fig. 1, is.

connected to the core member 22 by inserting the end of j 28 remote from its mouth into the slot 24 in the tube the core 22. Then the portion of the collapsibletube 28 ,just below the core member 22 is inserted into the slot 18 in the angle bracket 2 through the open end of such slot. v

preferable that, the tube 28 should be attached to the core member 22 in w such a manner that the knob 26 will be located adjacent the open end of the slot 18 when the parts are assembled.v

In carrying out these operations, it is When this is done, the knob 26 does not interfere with the insertion of the tube 28 into the slot 18. i

'With the parts in the about by removing the cap 30 from the mouth of the tube and then rotating the knob 26. As the knob is rotated, the end of the tube 28 is wound about the core 22 to draw the tube 28 upwardly through the slot in the angle bracket 2. As the uncollapsed portions of the tube 28 are drawn into contact with the rounded lower edges 20 of the slot 18, these portions are brought together, and the material in the tube 28 is ejected from the opposite end thereof.

After a dispensing operation has been carried out, the core member 22, with a portion of the tube 28 wound thereon, may be removed from the angle bracket 2 by simply sliding the tube 28 out of the slot 18. This pernrits the user to then use the angle bracket 2 in connection with the dispensing of material from some other tube also wound upon a core member such as the core member 22....

One important feature of the invention which should".v be noted particularly is that the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like portion 8 of the bracket member 2 arecompletely unobstructed. As a result, there is no limita- I 28 which may be operated very long, the Winding of the collapsed portion of the tube about the core member Also, when the 1 last of the material has been ejected from the tube 28, tube from the All that need be the wound tube tion upon the size of the tube upon. Even if the tube 28 is 22 can proceed without complications.

tions will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It

Patented Apr. 21, 1,959;

edges and terminating The walls of the slot, 18 are rounded at their lower ends, as indicated by the with the fingers of. w, ones hand. Also, the knob is tapered so that the grip- *ping force applied by the fingers will have an axial component tending to hold the knob against the edge of meme assembled relation shown in Fig. l, the ejection of material from the tube 28 is brought the invention has intended, therefore, that the foregoing description should be considered exemplary only and that the scope of the invention should be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim.

1, In combination, a collapsible tube containing paste and havingan opening in its lower end through which. the paste may be ejected, a rigid angle bracket having two plate-like portions, one of said portions being adapted to be secured to a vertical supporting surface in face-to-face contact therewith so as to position the other of said portions in a substantially horizontal plane, said other plate-like portion having a narrow slot therethroughand receiving an intermediate portion. of said tube, said slot extending inwardly from a side edge of said other plate-- like portion and terminating short of the opposite side edge thereof, the opposed walls of said slot being close together and, being disposed in downwardly diverging.

relation at their lower edges to cause the collapse of said tube as it is drawn upwardly through said slot, an elongated hollow core member disposed above said other plate-like portion and having a longitudinal slot extending through its wall from one end thereof and receiving tube comprising a rigid member having a plate-like portion, said member being adapted to be mounted upon a support surface with said plate-like portion extending away from said support surface, said plate-like portion having a narrow slot therethrough extending inwardly from one edge of said portion and having a width such as to cause the collapse of said tube as the tube is moved through said slot, an elongated member upon which the collapsed portion of said tube may be wound, said elongated member bearing on the top surface of said plate-like portion and being supported thereby for drawing said tube through said slot, said tube providing a bearing surface between said plate-like portion and said elongated member as said tube is wound about said elongated member upon rotation thereof about its axis.

3. In combination, a collapsible tube containing paste and having an opening in its lower end through which the paste may be ejected, a rigid angle bracket having two plate-like portion-s, one of said portions being adapted to be secured to a vertical supporting surface in face-to-face contact therewith so as to position the other of said portions in a substantially horizontal plane, said other plate-like portion having a narrow slot therethrough and receiving an intermediate portion of said tube, said slot extending inwardly from a side edge of said other platelike portion and terminating short of the opposite side edge thereof, the opposed walls of said slot being close together to cause the collapse of said tube as it is drawn upwardly through said slot, an elongated core member disposed above said other plate-like portion and having a I longitudinal slot extending through said tube and receiving the upper end of said tube, said tube forming the only connection between the core member and the angle bracket, and said tube being in contact with the plate-like portion of the angle bracket so as to be compressed there between, and a knob fixed with respect to the opposite end of said core member for rotating said core member to wind said tube thereon, whereby, upon rotation of said knob, said tube is drawn through said slot in said platelike portion to progressively collapse said tube and eject the paste therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,986,409 Redmer Jan. 1, 1935 2,508,722 Loesser May 23, 1950 2,536,867 Barnett Ian. 2, 1951 2,545,773 Gonzalez Mar. 20, 1951 2,599,805 Beijbom June 10, 1952 2,643,028 Clark June 23, 1953 2,747,772 Ernst May 29, 1956 2,808,963 Farrow Oct. 8, 1957 

